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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Hi! This post is going to be a review of this beige quilted shoulder bag which I received from Tmart.com, an e-marketplace that sells electronics, apparel, accessories and much more for low prices and offers free worldwide shipping. Last night I went out for dinner and brought this bag out with me and here's how it looked with my outfit:

It's been quite cool over the past week which is surprising for summer, where I didn't think that I would be wearing jeans and a long-sleeve again so soon. I would have preferred to wear a skirt or a dress but it was way too chilly for that!

I was browsing the Tmart Shoulder Bags & Handbags where I came across this cute yet elegant-looking bag which is perfect for outings and when only the necessities need to be carried around. With a style and size like this, I would say that it's suitable for both daytime and evening use and can go with neat casual or dressy outfits.

The bag and its material feel quite sturdy despite being made from PU Leather, man-made leather which isn't as durable as genuine leather but is waterproof and easy to clean and maintain. It is suitable for people who are on a budget as it is only half the cost of genuine leather yet looks and feels like the real deal.

Can be used as a clutch with the strap placed inside

The description says that it has a magnetic closure but there doesn't seem to be any magnets so it sounds a little misleading. However it closes very easily with the twist of the buckle and I definitely prefer this type of opening and closing compared to a magnet which can open easily too (not a very good thing for me). With this buckle, it seems safer for my belongings because it isn't easy to open accidentally.

Not only do I love the overall appearance of the bag but also how it can be worn in many ways depending on how the strap is adjusted! All you need to do is wrap it under the flap and it stays in place when the bag is worn. Examples of how this bag can be worn:

As well as my OOTD picture above and as a clutch, it can be worn as a double-strap for the shoulder or for the crook of the elbow, as a cross-body bag and as a shortened bag worn on the side. Very versatile/multi-functional.

For a bag that is 21.5 x 6 x 15 cm (L x W x H), it fits plenty and I was pleasantly surprised! I was able to fit my wallet, phone, keys, spare phone battery, tissues and my lipstick. You can see how full it was in the pictures above :)

I've always been a fan of quilted handbags and purses, I just love how classy the design looks. Think of the Classic Chanel Flap Bag and how popular it is - isn't it gorgeous? If only I could afford one of those haha... for now I shall stick with other alternatives of quilted items such as this shoulder bag and my Ooh La La wallet, made from genuine leather (a PU leather vs. genuine leather comparison for the quilted design).

The little zip compartment under the flap is quite narrow but it's useful if you need a place to keep something small, like a pair of earrings, a ring, USB stick, keys or a blister pack. When I looked into the bag I really wasn't expecting to see card slots because I rarely come across any bags of this size with them! And I find them really handy, especially if you don't intend to bring everything in your wallet out with you.

Look, it fits my wallet nicely and I can fit more in because it's expandable ^^

I didn't find any faults with this bag and the quality meets its price of being under $15 AUD. I would recommend this bag if this design is what you're after and it suits your budget :) My only advice would be to not make it too heavy with items (being able to do that is quite limited anyway, thankfully) as it will weigh the bag down and may cause the chain along the strap to be a burden to your shoulder.

This is a bag that I know I'll be using for quite a while! Possibly until I can get my hands on a Chanel hehe.

Questjen of the week:

What is your favourite type of bag?

My answer: The shoulder bag (small or medium) with the option of wearing it across the body, on the side, on the crook of my elbow or carried using the handle. Ones that are spacious too! Basically I love versatile bags and I find that the shoulder bag generally is the bag that can be worn in so many different ways :D

Disclaimer: Product was sent for review purposes. This is not a sponsored post, nor am I affiliated with the company mentioned in this post. All opinions stated by me are 100% honest with no bias.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

It's the last month of summer over here in Australia but it certainly doesn't feel as though it's coming to an end any time soon because the days just keep getting hotter and hotter!

This look that I'll be sharing is by ELES called 'Earth Goddess' which uses earthy tones and is reminiscent of a hazy warm summer. Instead of a blush, bronzer is used to give off a healthy, sun-kissed glow to the face.

One of the featured products of this look is ELES' Age Defying BB Cream 30. I love using BB creams as I find that they're an amazing alternative to foundation, providing an all-in-one with sunscreen protection, moisture and of course coverage. There are three shades - Light, Medium and Deep.

Wearing the BB cream in the shade Light

This BB cream gave me nice, even coverage and felt really lightweight on my skin. With a Broad Spectrum SPF 30, this is perfect for summer and I have rarely seen other BB creams on the western market that provide this high of an SPF protection. Since it does have a high SPF protection, it has that typical sunscreen scent which I don't mind. I would recommend wearing this BB cream during the day to prevent damage from UVA/UVB rays.

I'm normally not a fan of using bronzer but when I recreated this look, I somehow developed a liking for it (sounds cheesy I know) and now I'm not as afraid of using it! I followed the ELES tutorial of sweeping the bronzer to the cheekbones, under the jawline and along the perimeter of the forehead. And the fact that this bronzer is sheer, it's much easier to work with and blend in to not look so harsh/unnatural.

I'm still not great with contouring however I gave it a red hot go with the bronzer along with my gold beam highlighter from Tony Moly, which I used on the high points of my face such as my (non-existent) nose bridge, the top of my cheeks and on my brow bone. I can tell how obvious it all looks in the picture and I definitely wouldn't go out looking that bronzed! This was purely done for fun to try and sculpt my face by adding shadows :)

Look at dat glowww

Sucking in those cheeks to make my cheekbones stick out, and to make my lips look more pouty

Speaking of my lips, at first I was feeling a little uneasy with using a dark reddish brown shade as I'm usually wearing light or dark pink lipsticks. Fortunately it turned out looking awesome, especially with my smokey eyes and bronzed cheekbones. It's also got that slight classy look to it - I love it! It's super creamy as well :)

Overall this look was really fun to do, especially considering the fact that I hardly go for smokey eyes, use bronzer or wear a brown-toned lipstick! It was like stepping out of my comfort zone and transforming into... an earth goddess. Okay I'll stop with the cheesiness...

Questjen of the week:

Do you use or have you used bronzer before??

It's hardly something that I hear about and I was wondering whether anyone uses it religiously. I have a couple of bronzers and I've barely touched them! I can't imagine myself hitting pan on any of them soon!

Disclaimer: Products from ELES were provided for consideration with no obligation to share or review. This is not a sponsored post, nor am I affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post. All opinions stated by me are 100% honest.